Two New Yorkers Are Charged With Trying to Provide Cold-Weather Gear to the Taliban and Al Qaeda

October 11, 2013

On Tuesday two New Yorkers were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on charges of conspiring to provide support to terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. Humayoun Ghoulan Nabi, 27, of Elmhurst, Queens, and Ismail Alsarabbi, 32, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, face up to seven years each if convicted. According to the criminal complaint, it was the work of a confidential informant that unraveled the plot to supply cold-weather gear to combatants in the region.

Between April 2011 and November 2012, Alsarabbi, a naturalized citizen from Kuwait, and Nabi, a Pakistani national, were working to provide terrorist groups in Afghanistan–including the Taliban and Al Qaeda–with warm winter clothing, alleges the complaint.

The jackets, described as “ski jackets” in the court document, were sought out under the false pretense that they were needed for “cold places, like Alaska.” Other items they were trying to procure for the fighters: goggles, boots, and GPS units.

The complaint also alleges that the plan included sending about $2,000 for the purchase of gear through Western Union to Lahore, Pakistan.

The Queens District Attorney’s Office declined comment to Runnin’ Scared on what terrorist organizations besides the Taliban and Al Qaeda the pair had dealings with.

A confidential informant met with the Nabi multiple times in 2011 and 2012, recording interactions and monitoring movements, according to the complaint. The CI’s work with the police forms the basis of the case against Nabi and Alsarabbi.

On October 7, Nabi admitted his work to investigators, citing his hate for “the United States, Jewish people, and U.S. soldiers.”

The men are scheduled to return to court October 25. They are currently being held on $500,000 bond.